Stormborn (A Tale of the Dwemhar)

Stormborn Saga, Book 1

By: J.T. Williams

Narrated by: Nick Denton

Valrin was born of the sea, or so he was always told. Orphaned on a desolate island, he knows nothing of his true past and wonders of his future...until the unexpected arrival of a mysterious ship changes everything.

For a fleeting moment, he feels like he might have an answer to everything and then his life is suddenly ripped apart. The one person that loved him is killed protecting him and a wanted sea-captain and his misfit crew become the only hope Valrin has. If he is to survive the coming darkness, he must learn who he truly is.

But there is someone that will hunt him. Someone that will want him dead to prevent the mere chance of what he could become. He has a destiny to unlock but will he get there before he is destroyed?

©2017 J.T. Williams (P)2020 J.T. Williams

Short and Intense

action packed from the get go. Nick read every line as if it was the final battle, an interesting take on it. I think it will be a fantastic journey and look forward to listening to the rest!

Good fantasy novella!

It was good, the story of a boy who lears he is more than he appears and it’s destined for greatness. The narration was good.

Quick Story to Whet Your Appetite

Stormborn makes for a fast read (listen), not only because of the length, but also because it is packed with things going on. The writing is well done and the world seems fascinating from the glimpse we experience. I haven't yet experienced any of the other books set in this world; and I think the only thing keeping this story from being a solid 5-star adventure is the length. It didn't feel as if I got to know the characters well enough to be emotionally invested in them. There's also only glimpses at the greater struggles in the world. Honestly, I feel I could very easily become invested the larger tale unfolding within this world. I would only need to experience more.

Narration is good here. I was nervous, at first, about how well the narrator's accent would fit with the story. However, it works with the story just fine.

I received this audiobook for free in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

Feels too rushed...

It's a short book - only about 2 hours of listening - and this is the main source of the problems I have with it... It feels both rushed and shallow at the same time... I had a feeling I was listening to a story for 19th century teenage boys: there is one big, momentous adventure after another with nothing going on in between. It felt like reading a historic map with say Magellan's or Columbus's journey marked down: points A, B, C (these are the stops they made in different ports) joined by arrows representing months of idle sea travel - only this book gives you points A, B, C without the arrows in between (if you get my meaning...). OK, I have nothing against the hero meeting deities or god's messengers and receiving quests from them in order to fulfil his destiny BUT I'd like to see more of how it all changes the hero, what his reactions to those unusual circumstances are, I need to see how the hero grows and becomes the hero... And I'm sorry but I didn't see it here... There's no awe, no fear, no surprise even from Valrin, not even once; he just accepts everything that happens to him without any questions, any doubts, any vehemances... Not very believable - unless you're 13 or 14 and the only thing you're interested in a book/movie is the fist fights..:)
But, with all the above said, it's not that I disliked the book - not at all; it was a quick, pleasant listen and when I allowed myself to forget I'm a grown up woman and started to pretend to be a teenage boy interested in something more than his cell phone and Facebook account, the tale of the Stormborn boy, with all the mysteries surrounding him and the dwarves trying to put their hands on him and his ship really started to be enjoyable...:)

Narration by Mr Denton is quite good, although I must admit that some of the accents he uses were a bit difficult for me to follow as I'm not a native speaker of English. But they matched the races, dwarves especially, so that's ok - it gave the book a kind of "fantasy authenticity", we might say:)

So generally, if you like stories full of adventures and without much character development, and at that, quick to read/listen to, that's exactly a book for you :)

DISCLAIMER: I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

very interesting work

the world is rich and engaging.
the action seemed very rushed.
I will read more, but this is mostly a quickie.